


Those Who Stand Beside You

by This_is_Riri



Series: Screaming Silence [2]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: BAMF Bonnie Bennett, F/M, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Issues, Family Secrets, Prison Worlds (Vampire Diaries), Protective Stefan Salvatore, Telepathy, Twins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2019-08-08 13:37:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16430411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/This_is_Riri/pseuds/This_is_Riri
Summary: It's been a year since Bonnie and her friends took on Silas and with the final stretch of senior year, they just might make it to graduation without any problems.But when surprising news and an unexpected visitor comes to town seeking help, they realise that their lives were never that simple.This is a sequal to Screaming Silence





	1. It's Not Just You

**Author's Note:**

> This might make more sense if you read screaming silence first. Just a recommendation, but then again you don't have to.
> 
> Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine, nor do I own any part of this show. I just write stories

_Bonnie placed the roses on her mother's grave. They were her favorite and at this point  her mother was overdue a visit. She knelt down and read the inscriptions on the stone,_ loving wife and mother, _and let herself cry because she finally knew the truth so for the first time she didn't resent the words written on that stone anymore. Abby had made the biggest sacrifice for her and she wouldn't waste it so she'd live for the both of them._

_"Bonnie" her voice said behind her and Bonnie got on her feet before turning to see her mother standing in front of her. She marvelled at how she still looked exactly as she remembered, with her long locks and glowing brown skin._

_"Something's coming Bonnie, it's coming for you and your family"._

_She noticed her mother look at something over her shoulder with fear in her eyes and she followed suit, looking for what she had her so scared all of a sudden._

_She counted six of them not too far off, the lack of a beating heart and the clear blood lust in their eyes giving them away, but there was something else. She could feel magic, it was unlike anything she's ever felt before and a chill ran down her spine._

_"It's not just you anymore, Bonnie, protect your family". Abby was gone again by the time she turned to look at her and ask what she meant._

_None of that mattered though cause there was suddenly a hand around her throat before she could blink and another plunged into her stomach, squeezing the life out of her._

"Attention Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Mystic Falls, Virgina. This is our final destination so please ensure that you have taken all of your belongings before you deboard the bus. We appreciate you traveling with us and we hope to have the pleasure of traveling with you again soon".

The familiar sound of the intercom woke her up from yet another nightmare. She's been having the same one for the past month or so and at first she thought it would pass, but now she wasn't so sure.

A year has gone by since her confrontation with Silas and yet she was still getting used to having Abby's powers. Her seer abilities were her biggest challenge and at this point she just really missed sleep.

She slowly got up from her seat and took her backpack from the overhead compartment. She considered texting her dad, but figured she could do that once she was actually safe in her grams house so instead she just got off the bus and made her way through the terminal where she spotted Stefan waiting for with roses in his hands. She liked roses, it was one of the things she shared with Abby and when she told Stefan, he always went out of his way to get them for her, especially if they hadn't seen each other in a while.

One month two weeks and four days to be exact.

They had a great summer in New York, but he had to come back early after Damon called him for help on a traveller problem they were having. She wanted to come back with him too, but he insisted on her spending time with her dad. Much needed time she appreciated in retrospect and time she wouldn't trade for the world. So summer had to end at some point and she had the last quarter of senior year to focus on now.

Still, she missed her dad already.

Stefan turned his head, spotting her in the sea of people and she swore her breath caught in her throat when she saw his smile.

How does someone get more beautiful in just one month?

That thought ran through her mind as she took off towards him and jumped into her open arms, wrapping herself around him.

His arms instinctively went around her waist as he lifted her clear off the ground and buried his head in her neck, breathing in her familiar cocnut shampoo. And he swore nothing smelled better than Bonnie.

"I've missed you so much".

This was another thing he missed, hearing her voice in his head. Sure they facetimed,  but her telepathy didn't transend through towns and cities, so she used her journal alot and hearing her voice again settled his mind somehow and made him feel at peace.

"I missed you too, Bon" he whispered into her neck and felt her shiver under his touch. That made him smile and softly kissed her neck before pulling away to get a good look at her. Somehow she looked different than he remembered, more beautiful somehow, and he wondered how that could be possible.

At first he thought it was her hair, she'd straightened it and got a bob cut, but he knew that wasn't it. He'd dwell on it later though because right now all he wanted to do was kiss her so he placed his soft hand against her cheek and leaned in for a kiss.

She didn't hesitate to kiss him back, and even slanted her head to the side to deepen the kiss as her arms tightened around his neck to get closer to him even though they were as close as they could be without doing something inappropriate in public.

He pulled away moments later with a huge grin on his face, the kind of grin that reached his eyes and gave him laugh lines that somehow made him look younger. She loved that grin and it made her kiss him one more time before completly pulling away.

He reluctantly placed her on her feet again, but kept his old on her waist so she wouldn't go very far, not after the distance that's been between them for the past month and a half.

"So where to, Miss Bennett?"

"I don't know. What are my options?" She played with the hair at the nape of his neck as she smiled up at him.

"Well I could take you straight to Sheila's house...or we could go to the boarding house" he said.

"Hmmm. Is Damon gonna be there?"

"No. He went out for drinks with his new friend" he replied and she stilled her hands from playing with his hair, looking at him in shock.

"Damon made a friend?"

"I know, I was just as shocked as you are".

"Hm, hell might've really frozen over".

That was the only logical explanation.

Damon didn't have friends, he had acquaintances at best and he'd said himself that the day he made a friend would be the day hell froze over.

She guessed that day finally came.

Stefan chuckled at the comment and kissed her cheek affectionately, lingering there a little longer than he planned to.

"Okay so no Damon...do I get to sleep?"

She meant to ask it offhandedly, but the concern that came over his face as he looked at her again meant that isn't how he took it.

"Another nightmare?" he asked. His hand was back on her cheek and he finally noticed exhaustion she was trying so hard to hide. He knew she was having a hard time with Abby's powers, but he hadn't considered how much sleep she was really losing. It was getting harder for her to be able to hide from him like she used to, but there were still times when that closed off little girl who'd isolated herself so much from the rest of the world that she refused to speak would make an appearance, and he'd feel a little guilty for missing things like this.

"Hey" she planted a soft kiss on his lips again. "I'm okay. But yes, the nightmares have been keeping me up".

"Same dream?" He asked before unconsciously reaching for her stomach. She nodded and placed her hand over the one on her stomach. His touch was comforting and she felt safe again for the first time in a month.

"Now, are you gonna let a girl sleep?" She smiled teasingly and felt him relax a little bit in her arms before he gave her a warm smile of his own.

"For as long as you want, come on" he said. He reached for her hand and grabbed her disgarded suitcase then lead her out of the bus station.

* * *

The vibrating next to his head woke him up from his nap and he turned his head to check if it hadn't woken up Bonnie, but she was still out like a light and curled up like a pretzel against his side.

When he realised who was calling he had to get out of bed and compose himself before actually answering the phone.

"Uh, good evening, sir" he said as he grabbed his t-shirt and got out of the room before he woke her up.

"Stefan, where is my daughter? She's not answering her phone and I called Sheila, but she said she hadn't gotten home yet so I ask you, where is my daughter?" Rudy's voice came through the receiver without so much as a hello and again, Stefan had to compose himself because this was his girlfriend's father so he had to watch what he said and he actually wanted her dad to like him.

It wasn't going so well, but still...

"I picked her up from the station and brought her to my house so she could sleep. She was really tired" he said.

"What, she doesn't have a bed she can sleep in at her grandmother's house?" Rudy asked sarcastically and Stefan stopped mid-step as he made his way downstairs. He squeezed his phone briefly before letting himself relax and responded anyway.

"She does, but my house was closer and she asked me to bring her here, sir".

Damon waved at him from the liquor tray as he walked into the parlor. He had a smirk on his face that told Stefan he was listening to his conversation with Bonnie's father, and probably had been from the moment he picked up the phone.

"Are you defiling my daughter, Stefan?" Rudy asked, grabbing Stefan's attention again and if he could Damon was sure Stefan's whole face would've gone beet red right then and there. "Because if you are you know I have no problem driving down there and kicking your ass myself, don't you Stefan?"

"No sir. I'm not...defiling...your daughter. I love her and I wouldn't do anything she didn't want me to".

"Hm" was all the response Rudy gave. He knew Stefan loved her, and that she loved him in return. He'd seen it for himself in the time Stefan spent in New York, but no father wanted to see their baby grow up, especially after everything she's been through growing up, which is why he didn't like Stefan. He was a constant reminder that Bonnie wasn't a little girl anymore, but finally her own woman. She'd finally grown into her own and didn't need him as much as she used to.

But one thing he could do was appreciate how happy he made her, which was all he ever wanted.

"Just tell her to text me when she wakes up".

"I will do that. It's always a pleasure talking to you, sir" Stefan said, grateful that this conversation was finally over.

"I'm sure it is" he replied and the line cut after that.

"Man he really doesn't like you, does he?" Damon started the moment Stefan hung up the phone and his brother glared at him before pulling on the t-shirt in his hand. "And I thought I had a bad track record with parents" he mumbled into his glass as he took a sip of his bourbon.

"Shut up, Damon" he replied and poured himself a glass as well. "When did you get home anyway?"

"About an hour ago. I didn't think you'd be home, until I picked up the heartbeat of one Bonnie Bennett coming from your room. Did you defile her?"

"You're such a dick" Stefan said and took a sip of his drink as well. He hated that word now because it made it seem like a hit and quit it kind of deal, when it wasn't.

He loved her too much to ever be that guy.

"Okay fine. So how does it feel having her back?" Damon asked, he figured he'd cut him some slack because after all he had all of eternity to keep teasing him about this.

His face suddenly lit up like it always did when they talked about her and Damon wouldn't be surprised to read about it in great detail later in his brother's journal.

"It feels great. I didn't realise I missed her so much until I held her again".

"Right back at you, Salvatore". They turned around when they heard her walk into the parlor wearing one of Stefan's t-shirts and her jeans again.

He walked up to her and gave her a hug. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"Yes, you took your warmth away, but it's fine cause it's dark out and I should really be getting home".

He nodded and reluctantly let her go before speeding up the stairs to get his keys. "Damon".

"Hey Bon bon. Welcome back" he said and tilted his glass in her direction. Her relationship with Damon was...interesting. They tolerated each other more, she'd even go as far as calling herself one of his acquaintances and she respected him, which she didn't hand over easily, but in true Damon fashion he also annoyed the hell out of her at times.

"Thanks".

Stefan zoomed back into the room then and handed her a hoodie, it was late so it was probably cold out by now. She took it with a smile and put it on to keep warm. It smelled like him so she'll probably end up sleeping in it to keep the bad dreams at bay.

She'd much rather stay and sleep with him since she felt safe with him and slept better, but she supposed this was the next best thing.

"Always a pleasure, Damon".

"I'll see you around, Bon bon" he said and took another sip of his drink as he watched them leave.

* * *

"Bonnie Sheila Bennett". She froze at the use of her government name and you'd think it was her grandmother yelling at her like that, but no, it was much worse.

They were walking through the school yard to get to the building when an obviously pissed off voice yelled harshly behind them, and she didn't have to guess who it belonged to so she squeezed Stefan's hand in fear of turning around, but he only laughed at her impending death, offering no help at all. It was obvious she was clearly on her own.

So,very slowly she turned around and came face to face with her pissed off best friend.

"Heeey Caroline"

"Don't hey Caroline me when you know you didn't call me when you got back like you were supposed to" she snapped and Bonnie flinched a little. She knew she was guilty and this was the third time she was being yelled at for it. First it was her dad when Stefan was driving her home last night, then it was grams who even went as far as to ground her for a week, and now it was Caroline.

"I'm sorry, Care. I was really tired when I got back last night and just wanted to get some sleep". She stole a glance at Matt, who was standing next to her and he smiled at her before bringing her in for a hug.

"We missed you, Bon" he said as he pulled away and noticed Caroline face soften a little bit.

"I missed you guys too". She found herself in a bone crushing hug the very next second and smiled over Caroline's shoulder.

"Do not do that again, Bonnie Bennett". Caroline slapped her shoulder, pulling away and hooked their arms together as they continued towards the building.

"Okay so I was going to tell you this last night, but it's fine. Anyway I put your name up for cheerleading tryouts so you need to get there at 14:00 and-"

"Caroline I'm not trying out for cheerleading".

"-wow us with your dancing skills" she continued like Bonnie hadn't said anything.

"I know my lips aren't moving, but she can hear me, right?" She turned around to ask Matt and Stefan who were trailing behind them.

"You owe me this Bonnie for making me worry about you so you don't really have a choice".

She was about to respond when they saw Elena walking towards them with a bright smile on her face. "Hey guys!" She yelled in excitement and pulled Bonnie and Caroline into a group hug. "I missed you girls over the summer".

Bonnie wondered if she was high. It would explain the sudden affection she was showing now seeing as other than the occasional greeting in the hallway they haven't really spoken to her since Silas tried to kill them.

She was never mad at Elena for abandoning them the way she did. Elena did what she felt was right for her and she couldn't fault her on that, especially since Elena didn't owe her any loyalty whatsoever.

Now Caroline on the other hand was a completely different story.

"Elena, are you high?" She asked, pulling away from her grasp.

"Ofcourse not".

"Then why are you this person?" She asked.

Elena flinched and looked at all of them as if waiting for someone to rescue her from owning up to what she did.

None of them said a word.

"Okay look, what happened last year was terrible, and I never should've abandoned you guys like that" she said 'you guys', but only looked at Stefan as she said it. They weren't idiots.

They knew what she was playing at, and Stefan was almost disappointed for thinking that she might've grown up in the past year.

"I'm sorry" she finished and they just looked at her for a moment.

"It's fine, Elena" Stefan broke the silence.

"It is?" Caroline asked questioningly and Bonnie nodded in agreement. "It is".

"There's no point in holding on to that anger. This is our Senior year, we should spend it together" he said with a shrugged. They stopped caring about what Elena did a while ago and decided it wouldn't affect them anymore.

"But we'll keep an eye on her" Bonnie added which brought Caroline some comfort. Elena looked a little confused by the silent conversation though, before smiling again when she noticed Caroline nod at her.

"Stefan's right so I guess we can move past your betrayal...just like we get past everything else" She mumbled that last part and Bonnie cleared her throat to keep from laughing.

"You guys will not regret this. I promise".

"We better not. Now let's get to class" Stefan replied and took Bonnie's hand, leading her to homeroom.

* * *

Bonnie wasn't sure when exactly she started feeling sick, but by the time they got to the cafeteria for lunch she knew she wasn't going to be able to keep down whatever it was they planned on feeding them that day.

That thought rang true when she took a whiff of the food on her tray and bolted for the door.

Caroline was there to keep her hair back before she could even start throwing up her breakfast in the bathroom stall.

She was done she could see the concern on Caroline's face as she got up to go rinse her mouth in the sink. "Are you okay?" She asked and Bonnie nodded. "Yeah. I feel a little better now".

"What was it?"

"I probably ate some questionable meat on the bus yesterday or something. But I'm fine now, I promise".

"You better tell me when you're not".

"I promise".

Bonnie gave her a sly smile and pushed her out the door.

Stefan was pacing out in the hallway waiting for them to come out so when he saw them walk out of the bathroom he immediately took her face in his hands and examined her features. She looked flushed and her hands felt clammy as they touched the ones on her face in comfort.

"I'm fine".

He placed his forehead against hers and she could feel his breath against her cheek as he spoke. "Are you sure? I could take you home right now".

"No need, Salvatore. This was nothing" she brushed it off. He hated when she did that. "Besides, I'm not missing the rest of my first day".

"Bonnie-"

The sound of the bell cut him off and she grinned brightly, the idea of being saved by the bell finally making sense to her.

"Look at that. We have history, come on".

She took his hand and pulled him towards class with Caroline trailing behind them.

"Good afternoon. My name is Alaric Saltzman" The new teacher introduced as he wrote the name on the board and turned back to them with a warm smile.

“It’s a mouthful, I know. Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. Saltzman is of German origins. My family immigrated here in 1755 to Texas. I, however, was born and raised in Boston. Now the name Alaric belongs to a very dead great grandfather I will never be able to thank enough. You’ll probably want to pronounce it as ‘Alric’, but it’s ‘Alaric’, okay? So, you can call me Rick. I’m your new history teacher”.

They'd made it to class just before the new teacher did and Stefan pointed out that he was Damon's new friend, which was...none of her business she supposed, but still it was nice to put a face and a name to him. They already knew they were getting a new history teacher, a fact that was addressed in the school newspaper before they went for summer break.

And Bonnie may have had a dance party in her room after that as a celebration to Coach Tanner going on sabbatical after months of him making her life miserable, but this was a new quarter and she really didn't want to dwell in the past so she focused on her new teacher instead.

"So I was thinking we start with some revision work from what coach Tanner taught you before he left" he said and as of on queue, the whole class grumbled at once, effectively showing their disapproval of that idea.

"Come on, Mr. Saltzman, it's the first day of school" Matt spoke up over the sounds of disapproval and Alaric looked like he was actually thinking about it.

"Okay, then let me get to know all of you.  Starting with you, Mr...?"

"Donovan. Matt Donovan" he replied before continuing on to talk about himself.

She thought the bell would've gone off by the time he got to her, but no such luck so when he called her name from the class list she looked at Stefan nervously, who got up with her.

"Bonnie doesn't talk" was the first thing he said. "She's from New York and moved to Mystic falls last year to live with her grandmother, Sheila Bennett. She likes reading, a lot, which is how she makes sense of things. And she's kind of an old soul, which I find really endearing" he said, reaching for her hand and she thanked the Lord in heaven for her darker skin as her ears burned.

"Ugh, we get it, you love her" someone yelled before he could continue and Bonnie quickly sat down, deciding that was enough sharing for one class.

"That was so teeth rottingly sweet I kinda wanna throw up a little bit" Dana whispered from the seat behind her, which was when the bell decided to ring.

* * *

Bonnie knew Caroline definitely wouldn't let her stay this time when she caught her throwing up again in the girl's locker room after cheerleading tryouts.

"That's it, I'm taking you to the hospital. Come on".

She didn't have it in her to argue. All she wanted to do was sleep, but in all honesty, she also wanted to know what was wrong with her so when Caroline dragged her through the hallways, she went willingly.

When they got there she explained what happened by writing it down in her journal. She explained the constant exhaustion, the nausea, the vomitting, everything.

Well everything except the recurring dream where she felt like something was being ripped from her stomach everytime those things plunged their hands into her stomach.

She even let the nurse take some blood for tests with Caroline there the whole time, holding her hand in reassurance because whatever it was she'd be fine, she had to be fine.

"Why didn't you tell me you were feeling sick?" Caroline whispered and Bonnie sighed.

"Honestly I was hoping it would pass, but now I'm not so sure. Caroline, what if something is seriously wrong with me?"

"Don't think like that. We'll figure it out when it comes" she said and squeezed her hand.

Bonnie wasn't sure how long they'd been there for, but it was starting to get dark and Stefan had called twice already. She told him she at home and that she'd see him tomorrow at school because she was going to sleep.

"You just lied to Stefan" Caroline pointed out after she hung up.

"I don't want to worry him. At least not until I know what's wrong with me".

The doctor finally came in moments later holding Bonnie's file with a sympathetic look on her face.

"We got your test results back" she said and Bonnie gripped Caroline's hand like a vice as the doctor continued to explain what they tested her for, but she couldn't hear any of it until one word rang clear in her ears.

Pregnant.

And suddenly Abby's warning made absolute sense for the first time since she's started having these nightmares.

_It's not just you anymore..._


	2. Something's Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonnie tells Stefan

Of three things Bonnie was absolutely certain. One, she was somehow carrying Stefan's baby. Two, her nightmares weren't a figment of her imagination like she'd secretly hoped, which meant something really was coming after them. And three, she had no idea what she was going to do about any of it.

Just over a year ago she could barely take care of herself and now she had to take care of the person growing inside of her. A person that was depending on her to survive in order for them to survive.

She didn't realise she was even crying about this until she almost jumped out of her own skin when Caroline took her hand.

After they left the hospital Caroline refused to let her be alone tonight, so they drove to grams' house in silence.

That was three hours ago and she'd blocked off her thoughts since then.

Caroline didn't push her though so instead they changed into their pyjamas and got into bed. They sat there leaning against the headboard and she'd actually forgotten that the blonde vampire was even there until she took her hand just now, and her heart clenched.

"Caroline, how am I supposed to do this alone?" The thought slipped through before she could stop it and the tears flowed freely with her heart hammering against her chest.

Her friend reached for her face and pulled her towards her chest so that she could lean against her instead as she cried.

"Look around you, Bonnie Bennett" Caroline whispered into her hair, gently stroking it in comfort. "You're not alone".

Bonnie wrapped her arms around her middle and cried harder against her chest until she eventually fell asleep.

* * *

"Sooo...are we just going to ignore the fact that you're riding to school with me today?" Caroline caustiously asked while keeping her eyes on the road and Bonnie shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"I don't know what you're talking about".

"I'm talking about the fact that you've never caught a ride to school with me except for that one time Stefan was out of town with Damon to do...whatever it was they were doing".

She was talking about the 'Elena cleanse' Stefan took Damon on to help him get over her, though they refused to admit that's what it was.

'Hunting trip' her ass.

"You slept over at my house, it only makes sense that I'd ride with you".

And Caroline had to bite her tongue from mentioning that it never stopped her before. She also refrained from pointing out that Bonnie's been dodging Stefan's calls since they woke up.

Like now when her phone vibrated again and Stefan's face popped up on the screen. She could tell Bonnie was nervous, her constant fidgeting and biting her lip giving her away as she looked down at her phone and let it go to voicemail again.

"Mhm...you know we're seeing him at school in less than ten minutes right?"

"So?"

"Soooo, it's gonna be kinda hard for you to avoid him when he's standing right in front of you, Bonnie" she said, getting a little frustrated that she had to explain that to her.

"What if he doesn't believe me?"

That was her biggest fear.

Vampires weren't supposed to be able to procreate, this was the standing precedent. And even though rationally she knew that Stefan would never accuse her of lying, or even cheating for that matter, her emotions were kinda running high right now so it was her legitimate fear nonetheless.

Caroline risked stealing a glance at her and caught a glimpse of the fear in her eyes before turning back to look at the road ahead.

"You know that won't happen, and you being pregnant won't change anything".

"That's just it Caroline, it changes everything".

Apart from the supernatural aspect of it, she was also terrified of how her dad would look at her once he found out. She wasn't ready to see the disappointment on his face because she was irresponsible and got herself pregnant at seventeen.

"Either way you have to tell him" Caroline was saying and Bonnie turned to look at the side of her head.

"I will. Just not today"

"Bonnie..." she said warningly. She didn't like the idea of keeping Stefan in the dark. She also didn't like Bonnie putting off the inevitable by avoiding it because this wasn't exactly something that was going away.

"Please Caroline, just today and then I'll tell him".

Caroline looked at her again and saw the desperation clear on her face so she groaned in annoyance before reluctantly agreeing to keep her secret.

When they got to school Stefan was already there leaning against his car in the parking lot waiting for them.

Sheila told him they had a sleepover last night and that he'd just missed them this morning when he went to pick her up. He'd noticed her worry when they spoke, but he didn't say anything since Sheila would've said something if she wanted to talk about it. So instead he thanked her and drove to school.

"Hey Stefan" Caroline greeted as she got out of her car while Stefan opened Bonnie's door for her and took her hand to help her out.

"Hey Care" he replied with a polite smile that didn't reach his eyes. She forgot sometimes that they were connected and that even if he didn't know exactly what was wrong, he could still feel it. Like now when his face dropped when he looked down at Bonnie.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly once she was standing in front of him with her back against the car. He looked so stressed and worried that she hated herself for putting him through something he didn't even understand.

The words wouldn't come though so she just stood on her tippy toes and gave him a soft kiss on the lips before pulling away.

"I hate to break this up guys, but we're kinda late" Caroline said, gaining their attention just as the bell went off so Bonnie took Stefan's hand again and they walked to class.

* * *

He knew something was wrong. He knew it and it was stressing him out because he didn't know what it was or how to fix it. He also knew that if he pushed her to tell him she would completely close herself off, which he really didn't want, so he decided to leave it alone for now.

Bonnie had decided to catch a ride home with Caroline...again, which he guessed was okay because atleast she wasn't alone, but it also made him feel like crap because she didn't want him to be her support in whatever it was she was going through right now.

This whole thing was driving him crazy and the whole way home he hoped he'd get there and Damon wouldn't be so he could be alone and brood in peace, but that dream went up in smoke the moment he got out of his car and heard him inside talking to Alaric.

"Didn't think you'd be home so soon" Damon called out as he walked through the door and Stefan groaned incoherently before he walked into the parlor and saw Alaric sitting on the couch across from Damon.

"Hey Rick".

"Hey Stefan. Is everything okay?" He asked.

"Why do you ask?" Damon replied a little confused by the history teacher's concern as well as Stefan's sudden brooding mood. Okay not so much by the brooding.

Stefan sighed and took the seat next to his brother. "Bonnie's acting weird. I can feel that something's wrong, but she won't tell me what it is".

"Yeah I noticed something was wrong when you- wait a minute, you can feel it?" Alaric cut himself off once he actually registered that Stefan said.

"It's a long story that I'll explain later" Damon waved him off and gestured for Stefan to continue.

"I don't know, I just have this bad feeling I can't shake".

The sound of the door opening again caught their attention before Damon could respond and all at once Caroline and Bonnie were standing by the doorway in the next second.

Bonnie hadn't planned on coming here, but she couldn't stand how miserable Stefan was at school when she completely shut him out. Plus Caroline was a strong willed woman who refused to let her put this off and completely strong armed her into telling him despite her objections.

"Hey" Stefan greeted awkwardly as he got up from the couch and approached them. He noticed Bonnie's breath catch in her throat when he took her hand. She was nervous.

"Hey. Will you walk with me?"

"What about us? We want to know the big secret too" Damon protested. He just spent the last five minutes of his life listening to his little brother cry about some big secret Bonnie was hiding from him and talking about bad feelings he was having so he was going to hear it.

"This is not about you, Damon. They'll tell you when they're good and ready" Caroline said taking Stefan's seat and he rolled his eyes, "Of course blondie already knows" he said after noticing the smug look on her face.

"Ofcourse I know. Bonnie is my best friend" Caroline said with a satisfied grin that made Bonnie roll her eyes.

"Let's leave".

She tugged on his hand and pulled him towards the door.

"I'm your brother Stefan so you better tell me when you get back!" Damon yelled after them as they finally made their escape.

"I'm sorry I've been avoiding you" she apologised as they walked around the Salvatore estate. It was unfair how big it was while the rest of them barely had a backyard. But she couldn't get distracted by that right now.

"I know you had your reasons" he shrugged, but she could tell he was hurt. She could feel it just as much as he could tell that she was hiding something.

It was insane how connected they were. They couldn't really hide anything from each other and Bonnie kinda understood why Silas wanted Amaya so much. Everything made sense because of her.

And that's what Stefan did for her.

"It's no excuse and I'm sorry".

He took a hold of her waist and pulled her against his chest so he could kiss her. She melted in his arms and relaxed a bit.

"Does this mean you're going to tell me what's going on?" He whispered against her lips. She was so aware of her heart beating against her chest when he kissed her again. She wondered how he could make her nervous and calm at the same time as his fingers brushed against the skin under her shirt, making her shiver all over.

"Stefaaan".

He could hear her whining in his head and pulled away slightly. "I'm sorry, I just really missed you".

"I went to the hospital yesterday" the thought kinda slipped past her defences and she felt his fingers still against her waist before he pulled away to examine her.

"Why didn't you call me? Are you okay? Is it s-?"

"Stefan! I'm fine, I promise"

"Then why did you have to go to the hospital?" He asked. She was downplaying her feelings again and it was frustrating because he didn't want her to hide her pain if something was really wrong.

"Caroline insisted after I threw up at tryouts".

"You threw up again?" Both his hands were on her cheeks now, caressing them and she held onto his wrists, hoping it would ground her "Bonnie you're not fine if you're throwing up".

"I am, listen...I'm gonna tell you something and I need you to not freak out about it, okay?"

She took a deep breath and nodded when he did the same.

"I'm pregnant".

* * *

Sheila's hand froze mid-air as she was reaching for the door handle. There was someone inside her house. She could feel the magic radiating from inside the house. Magic she hasn't felt in years, but recognised all the same.

She twisted the handle and walked in. She followed the magic into the living room where she found a young woman sitting there with her head in her hands. Her dark brown hair forming a curtain around her face so she couldn't see it, but Sheila didn't need to see her face to know exactly who she was.

The girl practically grew up in front of her after all.

"Jo?" She called out quietly from the doorway and the woman looked up with tears in her eyes, her make-up completely ruined.

"Hey, Grandma Sheila".


	3. Abby's 'Sister'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn a bit about why Jo is here.

_When the sky darkened Stefan disappeared, and she could see them walking towards her from a distance._  
  
_There were six of them, and they were coming for her. For her baby and yet she stood alone._  
  
_She'd be standing alone in the end too._  
  
Then her phone vibrated in her pocket and snapped her out of it. She was back in the all too big Salvatore estate and Stefan was standing in front of her again with his hands still cupping her cheeks while hers held onto his wrists.  
  
"Bonnie" he whispered her name when their eyes locked again, like she would break if he spoke any louder and he could see the fear in her eyes, he could smell it on her too and even as she tried she couldn't hide it from him.  
  
"They're coming, Stef".  
  
Her eyes were shining with unshed tears as she pulled away and reached for the phone in her pocket.  
  
_**You need to come home now.**_  
  
She looked up from her phone and he could see worry mixed in with the fear from before, "I need to go".  
  
"What? No Bonnie, we need to-"  
  
"I know" she cut him off and softly placed her hand on his cheek. She knew they needed to talk, but her grams hardly ever texted her so it was important and she had to go.   
  
"I know...but you also need time to get over the shock. Come by later and we'll talk then, I promise".  
  
"Fine. Leave your window open" he said with a sigh and then reached for her waist to pull her closer to him until their foreheads met. He missed her today and just having her in his arms like this again gave him the peace he needed to calm down.  
  
"I always do". She gave him a lingering kiss while his arms tightened around her, and she felt safe with him.   
  
Then all too soon she was pulling away and she left him standing there, watching her head back to the house to get Caroline.

* * *

She was about to open the door to her house when the sound of Caroline's voice stopped her and made her turn around to face her best friend.  
  
She looked worried and Bonnie really wanted to reassure her that everything was going to be fine, but that vision was still replaying itself in her head and she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe this time it wasn't.   
  
Maybe this time she couldn't stop what was coming.  
  
"Did something happen?" Caroline asked and she only shook her head as she reached for the door handle again. "I'm here for you, Bon, you don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders anymore. You have me now".  
  
_They were coming for her and she stood alone._  
  
She stared at the door for a moment as her eyes filled with tears and her knuckles whitened from gripping the door handle so tightly.  
  
_She'd be standing alone in the end too._  
  
Then she turned the handle, opened the door and walked in with Caroline trailing behind her.  
  
They heard grams talking to someone in the living room as they walked down the hallway and finally saw the woman she was talking to sitting on the couch with her hands in Sheila's and her midnight hair a mess, falling onto her face.  
  
She'd been crying too. Her reddened eyes gave her away when she looked up at them. Grams did the same and stood up to greet them pulling the woman up with her.  
  
"Jo, this is my granddaughter Bonnie and her friend, Caroline Forbes. Girls, this is Josette Parker, she's come a long way to get here. She needs our help".  
  
The woman, Jo, smoothed down her hair and rubbed her eyes to make herself more presentable as she walked up to them.  
  
Bonnie didn't understand why she did that. They already saw her at her worst so why was she trying to hide that she was a wreck.  
  
Jo was standing in front of them before she could think much on it with her arm extended so she could shake their hands.  
  
"I'm so sorry to just show up like this" she said as Caroline shook her hand with a friendly smile she mirrored before she turned to Bonnie, offering her the same hand.  
  
She just looked at it as it awkwardly hung between them waiting for her to take it. Then she looked at her grams, who was still standing by the couch, now silently reprimanding her for being rude.  
  
"Uh- you're Abby's daughter, right?" Jo finally dropped her hand and chuckled uncomfortably, "Her and I practically grew up in this house together. She was like a sister to me and I was so heartbroken when she passed away. I'm so sorry for your loss, Bonnie".  
  
She wasn't at the funeral though. She may have only been nine years old, but Bonnie had that day imprinted in her mind and she remembered every single person that was there that day because they were only two.  
  
Abby's 'sister' was nowhere to be found.  
  
She continued to look at the woman in front of her now and Bonnie could see so much pity in her eyes that it completely overshadowed the grief that she saw there before.  
  
"Bonnie isn't really good at interacting with new people, but I know she really appreciates you saying that, right Bon?" Caroline nudged her side and gave her a pointed look until Bonnie nodded.  
  
That seemed to release some of the tension on Jo's shoulders as she sighed in relief, feeling glad that it wasn't her.  
  
"Jo, why don't you tell them what you told me" Sheila said and Jo nodded as if remembering herself, and the grief was back on her face as she said,  
  
"Two nights ago my coven was invaded. They came for us in the middle of the night and killed almost everyone, including my mother" she wiped a stray tear the fell and continued, "My dad and I, along with my siblings were so sure we could stop them, but they were too strong. We're not even sure how they escaped..."  
  
"What do you mean escaped? Escaped from where?" Caroline asked.  
  
"Over a hundred years ago, in 1903, our ancestor Emily helped the Gemini coven create a prison world to trap a ripper, along with her companions, after they slaughtered over two hundred people. Then in 1994 I helped them create a second prison to trap Jo's twin brother, Malachai, after he murdered his brothers and sisters".  
  
Bonnie looked at her grams again, listening to her carefully as she spoke, "Bennett blood was used to create the prison worlds, and Bennett blood is the key to letting them out"  
  
Jo, who was also looking at Sheila as she spoke turned back to face her. "You and Sheila are the only Bennetts left. I know Sheila didn't do it, and she told me that you didn't even know about them until now...which makes this whole situation freaky because they aren't supposed to be able to get out".  
  
"Was Malachai with them?"  
  
"Not that I saw, but...if he's out then he's coming after us".  
  
They all went silent as the fear settled in the pit of Bonnie's stomach as she looked at Jo. Then she walked up to the wall unit and opened the drawer to retrieve the diary she kept there, the one Dr. Stevens gave her almost a decade ago, and wiped the dust that was on the cover from lack of use.  
  
She also reached for the pen next to it and opened the book so she could scribble down the question that has been gnawing at her from the moment Sheila mentioned a ripper and her companions.  
  
She walked up to Jo when she was done and showed her what she's written down.  
  
_How many?_  
  
Her breath got stuck in her throat as she waited for her answer, for her to finally say-  
  
"There were six of them".

* * *

Stefan went hunting after Bonnie left so he could clear his head and get over the shock like she said, but even after two hours he was still trying to wrap his head around it.   
  
It wasn't supposed to be possible. Lexi taught him that at an early stage,   
  
"Vampirism with all it's perks, requires you to give up on certain dreams because you're dead at the end of the day" she told him after he confided in her and it tore him apart. She was good at that, but she was good at putting him back together again too.  
  
Which she did, and he made peace with it.  
  
Now Bonnie was carrying his baby and he had to adjust his beliefs again because clearly everything he knew, everything Lexi knew, was wrong, and as much as his head told him not to hope, his heart felt full.  
  
He tried to control the smile that threatened to break through his lips as he opened the door and walked into the boarding house.  
  
Then his heart dropped again when he picked up Elena's scent and saw her sitting in the parlor with Damon and Alaric.  
  
"Look Stefan" Damon greeted from the liquor tray with a glass of burboun in hand before he downed it in one gulp and said, "Elena's here".  
  
She waved at him and got up from the couch, "I just came by to see if you wanted to hang out since, you know, we're all friends again" she fiddled nervously with her thumb. "But I see now that it's getting late so..."  
  
The words died in her mouth as Stefan looked out the window and saw it indeed getting dark, he hadn't noticed.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming over?"  
  
"I called, but you weren't picking up".  
  
He reached into his pocket and pulled it out as he remembered that he'd put it on silent during his hunt.   
  
"Sorry I just needed some time to think".  
  
"Is everything okay?" She asked, concerned and took a step closer to him.  
  
"Yeah, it's nothing to lose sleep over" Alaric said from the couch, where he had been sitting next to Elena. "Though that might not be true for Stefan".  
  
Damon almost spit out his drink as he covered his mouth and swallowed. "Yeah Elena, after the damage you caused it's gonna take baby steps to get things back to the way they were".  
  
He smirked at his little brother and watched him put the pieces together in his head.  
  
Of course blondie told them the moment they walked out of the boarding house and kept gushing over Bonnie having a baby until the girl came back to take them home, which Damon was grateful for because that girl wouldn't shut up about it.  
  
Stefan sighed, "I'm gonna kill Caroline"  
  
"Why? What happened?" Elena asked, completely in the dark as she looked at each of them and then back at Stefan.  
  
He looked so alive it was crazy and her heart clenched because she had nothing to do with making him look like that.   
  
It was insane how much could change in a year while her regret kept her trapped in time.  
  
"I'll let Bonnie and Caroline tell you when they're ready. It's like Damon said 'baby steps'".  
  
She nodded, "Baby steps".  
  
Then Stefan's phone buzzed in his hand, indicating an incoming text from Bonnie.   
  
**_We have a problem. You guys need to get here now._**  
  
It didn't take long for them to get there, with Elena trailing after them because she insisted on coming with them saying she "wanted to make up for lost time" when really she just wanted to ease her conscious. That's what Damon thought anyway, but Stefan wanted to give her a chance to prove herself or whatever so fuck what he thought, right?  
  
Bonnie didn't look too happy to see her either when they showed up at her doorstep, but she kept any comments or reservations she might have to herself and led them inside instead to where her grams and Jo were sitting in the living room.  
  
She could wait until later to give Stefan an earful because right now they had to deal with this so she let Jo tell it again from the beginning.  
  
The moment she told them how many there were Stefan looked right at her from the other side of the room with Elena glued to his side and she knew he was remembering her vision.   
  
"Not here" he heard her say as she focused on what Jo was saying. "Later".  
  
"Is there any way of knowing if Malachi is actually out?" Alaric asked once she was done talking.  
  
"We could do a locator spell. If he's back then we might be able to find where he's hiding".  
  
"Or waiting..." Sheila added.  
  
"...yeah". Bonnie recognized the fear in her eyes immediately. She looked terrified of her brother and Bonnie wondered what the full story was. A person didn't just wake up one day and decide to slaughter his siblings unless he was provoked, or crazy...or maybe he was both. Either way she needed to know.  
  
"But I'm afraid I've depleted the last of my energy to come here. My magic's fried from overexerting myself".  
  
"It's okay, baby, I can do it. Bonnie where's the map?" Sheila asked and her granddaughter went to retrieve it from the wall unit where her journal was in and spread it out on the table. She stood back as she watched her grams and Jo kneel on opposite sides of the coffee table. Jo gave Sheila her hand and tried not to flinch as she sliced through her palm with her pocket knife while Sheila recited the spell.  
  
Bonnie watched curiously as Sheila's magic filled the room, and yet Jo's blood didn't move.  
  
"Something's blocking me" Sheila said with her eyes still closed. Whatever was blocking her was keeping her from finding Jo's brother and the harder she pushed and harder it would push back and Bonnie wasn't ready to have her grams get hurt for this woman.   
  
She kneeled down next to her and grabbed onto her shoulder so she could stop. When Sheila opened her eyes she saw Bonnie scribbling something in her journal before she turned it to her.  
  
_We'll find another way._  
  
"I'm sorry, Jo" Sheila told the other woman when she looked back at her, but she only shook her head to say it was okay.  
  
"Maybe we all need to get some rest, especially Jo, then we can all figure this out tomorrow" Caroline suggested. They still had school in the morning so they couldn't stay here the whole night. It was already getting late.  
  
"Blondie's right. I'll come back in the morning and help Sheila".  
  
Bonnie smiled gratefully at Damon.   
  
Plus she needed the time and space to figure out how this was all led to those things killing her baby.  
  
Her friends went home after that and she was lying in bed when she felt strong arms wrap around her waist as he crawled in bed behind her.  
  
"You know my dad's gonna kill you for getting in bed with me".   
  
She turned in his arms so they could be face to face and he chuckled and brushed her hair from her face.  
  
"I think your dad's gonna kill me for a lot more than that" he said and his hand left her cheek and slowly slid down her body until he reached her stomach. "I didn't say this before, but nothing brings me more joy than having this baby with you. I love you, and whatever comes we'll face it together".  
  
"See? I already knew that, but...it's still really nice to hear you say it".  
  
He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead while she nuzzled against his neck.   
  
"I'm scared, Stef" she told him after a while. "And not just for our baby. I'm scared that Grams is going into this with blinders on because she practically raised this woman".  
  
"What do you think happened to her brother?"  
  
She pulled away so she could look at him, "I don't know, which scares me the most, but there are too many wholes in her story for me to just accept it at face value".  
  
"Maybe we should go to Oregon" he suggested. He didn't fully trust Jo either, there was something off about her and whatever trouble she's gotten herself into was gonna put his family in danger.   
  
He wouldn't let that happen, so they'd get to the bottom of this themselves and as he looked into his girlfriend's eyes she agreed.  
  
"Okay" she told him.  
  
"Okay".

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this story. Please leave a kudos or a comment to let me know what you think.


End file.
